Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are well known in applications related to tracking and positioning. GNSS systems such as global positioning systems (GPS) are satellite-based systems used for pinpointing a precise location of a GNSS receiver or object capable of tracking satellite signals. With advances in GNSS technology, it is possible to locate and track movements of an object on the globe.
GNSS systems operate by configuring a GNSS satellite to transmit certain signals which may include pre-established codes. These signals are based on a GNSS time or satellite time derived from an atomic clock or satellite clock present in the satellite. The transmitted signals may include a time stamp indicating the time at which they were transmitted. A GNSS receiver, which may be integrated in a handheld device, is timed by a local clock located at the receiver end. Ideally, this local clock is synchronized to the satellite clock (also known as the GNSS time). The device comprising the GNSS receiver is configured to estimate the GNSS time based on the satellite signals in order to synchronize their local clocks to the GNSS time. Once the local clocks are accurately synchronized, the device is configured to calculate the propagation time for the satellite signals to reach the receiver, based on a difference between the time at which the signals were received, and the time at which they were transmitted. This propagation time is an indication of the distance between the satellite and the device, keeping in mind that factors such as atmospheric conditions may affect the propagation time.
In order to pinpoint the location of the device, the device performs the above process to calculate the distance to two or more other satellites (if altitude and/or local time of the device is known, the location can be determined with a total of three satellites, otherwise, a total of four satellites may be needed). Using the distances to the satellites, it is theoretically possible to “trilaterate” the position of the device. However, practical applications diverge from theoretical expectations due to several sources of inaccuracies inherent in GNSS based positioning.
One source of inaccuracy relates to synchronization of the local clock. In modern devices comprising GNSS receivers, time is typically maintained via a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO), to maintain the frequency stability required for GNSS operation across varying device temperatures. Even small errors in frequency may result in large positional errors in position estimation. Thus, the TCXO and/or a voltage controlled temperature compensated crystal oscillator (VCTCXO) have been used in the art to maintain nearly constant frequency across fluctuating temperature and voltage. While the TCXO and VCTCXO may also experience some fluctuation in frequency with fluctuations in temperature and voltage, the frequency variations in an XO, i.e., a crystal oscillator without such temperature or voltage compensation, is much larger. Accordingly, the XO has historically not been used because of the large frequency variations across temperature and voltage that may prolong GNSS searches or cause them to fail.